Kiss Me, Kate - Brush Up Your Shakespeare - YouTube Kiss Me, Kate - Brush Up Your Shakespeare Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Feb 16, 2007 The 2001 Broadway revival of "Kiss Me, Kate". The number Brush Up Your Shakespeare Category Kiss Me, Kate | The Shows | Broadway: The American Musical | PBS This website is no longer actively maintained Some material and features may be unavailable THE SHOWS Kiss Me, Kate Premier: December 30, 1948 Theater: New Century Theater Music by: Cole Porter Lyrics by: Cole Porter Book by: Bella and Samuel Spewack Directed by: John C.

Wilson Choreography by: Hanya Holm Produced by: Saint Subber and Lemuel Ayers MAJOR SONGS "Another Op'nin', Another Show" "Why Can't You Behave?" "Wunderbar" "So in Love" "We Open in Venice" "I've Come to Wive It Wealthily in Padua" "I Hate Men" "Too Darn Hot" "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" “Kiss Me, Kate” is a loosely plotted scenario about the out-of-town tryout of a musical version of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” directed by and starring an Orson Wellesian ham named Fred Graham alongside his ex-wife Lili Vanessi. Cole Porter confined himself to the sweeping emotions of the leading characters. Banking on the convention of two lovers “who can’t live with each other and can’t live without each other,” Porter brilliantly captured the self-delusion and overwrought masochism of romantic egotism. Porter’s renderings of the outsized, melodramatic personalities of Fred and Lili were the most truthful things he ever wrote (they were also perfectly embodied by Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison).

Thrown together in the out-of-town tryout, Fred and Lili discover the love that binds their considerable egos together, even though Lili is engaged to marry a powerful senator and Fred is involved in a dalliance with a sexy young thing in the show. They realize, much like Kate and Petruchio in the original play, that they are bound to each other. The show opened in Philadelphia in early December 1948 and worked like a charm from that moment on. It moved practically intact to the New Century Theater on Broadway, premiering only two days before the beginning of 1949. “Kiss Me, Kate” gave Porter the greatest hit of his career; it ran for 1,077 performances and won five Tony Awards®, including Best Musical.

The 10 best Shakespeare-inspired pieces of music – in pictures | Culture | The Guardian The 10 best Shakespeare-inspired pieces of music – in pictures The 10 best Shakespeare-inspired pieces of music – in pictures Share on Messenger Close The Observer's classical music critic Fiona Maddocks chooses some of the best music inspired by Shakespeare – from Purcell to Bernstein to Elvis Costello – to mark the 450th anniversary of the Bard's birth What have we missed? Have your say in the comments below and your suggestion could feature in the alternative list next week Friday 18 April 2014 07.00 EDT First published on Friday 18 April 2014 07.00 EDT West Side Story Bernstein’s Romeo and Juliet update, complete with balcony scene, was originally about Irish-Polish Catholics and Jews in Manhattan and called East Side Story. Jews were replaced by Puerto Ricans, the musical was retitled, Stephen Sondheim supplied sharp lyrics, Jerome Robbins the unforgettable choreography – the rest is history. The 1961 film made the work a worldwide hit.

Mambo gained new life as a shirt-waving encore for Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. Lou Reed created his own cross-city song in Romeo had Juliette : “Betwixt between the East and West he calls on her wearing a leather vest”Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features Pinterest Falstaff Verdi had a passion for Shakespeare all his life, and dreamed of making an opera of King Lear. He never did, but Macbeth, Otello and the last of his 28 operas, Falstaff (based on The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV Pts 1 and 2), are among his greatest works. His creation of Sir John Falstaff nearly outdoes Shakespeare in its combination of wit, wisdom and human understanding.

The teasing of the “fat knight” by Mistress Quickly and her fellow merry wives narrowly escapes cruelty thanks to Falstaff’s final resigned benevolence, summed up in the closing fugue Tutto nel mondo è burla about the folly of the world – for many, a top moment in all opera Photograph: Tristram Kenton Pinterest The Boys from Syracuse Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s 1938 Broadway musical – the first ever based on Shakespeare – is a version of The Comedy of Errors, based on a Roman play by Plautus. The 1940 film starred Allan Jones , who played both identical twins, Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse, who were separated in a shipwreck as young children. Many mistaken identities later all ends happily. Ronnie Corbett and Bob Monkhouse appeared in a 1963 West End production. Judi Dench staged it at Regent’s Park.

Of the many cover versions of This Can’t Be Love – by Diana Krall , Ella Fitzgerald , Frank Sinatra – Stacey Kent’s might just be the best Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features Pinterest The Lion King It’s a long way from Can You Feel the Love Tonight to Hamlet, but think of I Just Can’t Wait to Be King and Shakespearean themes start to resonate. The Lion King, a 1994 Disney film then a stage version, is about lions in Africa but cites the Bible and particularly Hamlet as inspirations. With songs by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, it boasts two bards of its own. The Washington Post called it “Shakespearean in tone, epic in scope” but concluded ”it seems more appropriate for grown-ups than for kids. If truth be told, even for adults it is downright strange.” Never mind. It ranks as one of the highest-grossing hand-drawn films in history Photograph: PR Pinterest Kiss Me Kate In Cole Porter’s 1948 hit Broadway musical, the central characters are staging The Taming of the Shrew. Life imitates art when the star and his ex-wife and leading lady start sparring.

In 1949 it won the first Tony award for best musical. Hits include Too Darn Hot, Where Is the Life that Late I Led, Always True to You in My Fashion. The key to love and life, it turns out, is to Brush Up Your Shakespeare : “Just declaim a few lines from Othella/And they think you’re a heckuva fella./ If your blonde won’t respond when you flatter ’er/ Tell her what Tony told Cleopaterer” – the more ingenious the rhyme the better Photograph: Rex Features Pinterest A Midsummer Night’s Dream Mendelssohn was first inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream in his teens, writing an overture and then in 1842 incidental music, including the famous Wedding March . The orchestral Scherzo, with its giddy, fairy-feet opening and rude, rustic interventions, is a favourite on the piano and as a ballet too. Purcell’s The Fairy Queen camps it up as a masque .

Benjamin Britten’s 1960 opera, with Oberon, King of the Fairies, ethereally sung by a countertenor, was written for the reopening of Jubilee Hall on the Aldeburgh seafront. The Donkey Show: A Midsummer Night’s Disco (1999), a Broadway disco-era musical, is probably best forgotten Photograph: Alastair Muir/Rex Pinterest Romeo and Juliet Tchaikovsky struggled with Shakespeare, since he loathed the English, but he wrote incidental music for Hamlet and The Tempest, and the Fantasy-Overture Romeo and Juliet is one of his masterpieces. He liked the play: “No kings, no marches, no boring old grand opera. Just love, love, love!” When the composer Balakirev heard the love theme, he wrote: “This tune is simply DELIGHTFUL. When I play it, I imagine you lying naked in your bath with your lady friend, washing your tummy with hot lather from scented soap.” Tchaikovsky rather preferred men, but the sentiment is sweet.

Check out Prokofiev’s brilliant ballet version Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis Pinterest Where the Bee Sucks Robert Johnson (1583-c1634), lutenist and composer, worked with Shakespeare, setting lyrics from later plays such as Where the Bee Sucks and Full Fathom Five from The Tempest. Said to be Shakespeare’s most musical play, it has inspired at least 46 operas (including one by Thomas Adès), orchestral works (Tchaikovsky, Arthur Sullivan and Sibelius ) and songs (Vaughan Williams, Amy Beach, Michael Nyman ). Ben Whishaw’s dreamy Where the Bee Sucks in the 2010 film soundtrack by Elliott Goldenthal no doubt gave teenage girls a new taste for English lessons. Crisp in comparison, Isobel Baillie’s 1943 performance has a virginal charm Photograph: PR Pinterest Schubert’s An Silvia Who is Silvia? is one of Schubert’s best-loved songs , written at the height of his brief career in 1828, shortly before Die Winterreise. The text is from The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

It features the lovers of the title and two women, one of whom is Silvia, much wooed daughter of the Duke of Milan. Schubert, whose other Shakespeare settings are Hark, Hark the Lark and Come Thou Monarch of the Vine, reflected the elegance and wit of the original. Of the dozens of recordings, none matches that by the great German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau . For more recent one-girl Shakespeare hits try Elvis Costello’s Miss Macbeth or the Band’s Ophelia Photograph: Johansen Krause/Getty Images Pinterest Henry V Of all the epic soundtracks for film versions of Shakespeare, none matches those awe-inspiring, patriotic scores William Walton wrote for Laurence Olivier: for Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955). Since Walton had been earning less than £100 per year, these fiercely demanding commissions, with their deadlines and tight structures, gave him new confidence, though he was unable to rid himself of the idea of film music being “low brow”.

Olivier put him straight, saying of Henry V: “The music actually makes the film.” Try watching the Battle of Agincourt with the sound down and you see he’s right Photograph: Rank Film Library Kiss Me Kate-Brush Up Your Shakespeare - YouTube Kiss Me Kate-Brush Up Your Shakespeare Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Mar 11, 2007 MOBSTERS: The girls today in society Go for classical poetry, So to win their hearts one must quote with ease Aeschylus and Euripides. But the poet of them all Who will start 'em simply ravin' Is the poet people call The bard of Stratford-on-Avon. And the women you will wow. Just declaim a few lines from "Othella" And they think you're a heckuva fella.

If your blonde won't respond when you flatter 'er Tell her what Tony told Cleopaterer, And if still, to be shocked, she pretends well, Just remind her that "All's Well That Ends Well." Brush up your Shakespeare Brush Up Your Shakespeare backing track in the style of Musical Kiss Me Kate Backing Track, mp3, instant download [BT00487] - $11.95 : Total Sound, Complete Music Store Brush Up Your Shakespeare $11.95 Brush Up Your Shakespeare - in the style of Musical Kiss Me Kate (No Vocals, Performance Ending) Time - 3.32 Same tempo, key and arrangement as the original. Click arrow to hear the Demo. Model: BT00487 Kiss Me Kate Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 34 out of 35 people found the following review useful: What An Absolutely 'Wunderbar' Way to 'Brush Up Your Shakespeare'! from United Kingdom 15 October 2002 KISS ME KATE is quite easily one of the two most famous musical 'adaptations' of Shakespeare for the stage and screen (the other being WEST SIDE STORY).

Focusing on a theatre company putting up a musical version of 'The Taming of The Shrew', the film traces the main relationship between director/leading man Fred Graham (Howard Keel) and his ex-wife/leading lady Lilli Vanessi (Kathryn Grayson) as they respectively portray the Shakespearean roles of Petruchio and Katherine (the Shrew to be tamed, of course!). Throw in a deliciously naughty second lead actress Lois Lane (Ann Miller) and her gambling-addict beau Bill Calhoun (Tommy Rall), as well as a couple of gangsters (played brilliantly by Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore) mistakenly chasing after Fred 'sweetie' for Bill's latest debt, and opening night proves to be quite a big event, both onstage and off. Can the feuding Fred and Lilli, still in love with each other despite Fred's ego and Lilli's fiance, get their act together before the curtain goes down on the play? I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film... yes, even having already seen the London stage version of the musical earlier this year.

There are, of course, personal reasons that bias me towards the film and to perhaps set out watching it with every intention of liking it (which surely helps!). First of all, I have no qualms in admitting I'm probably the biggest Ann Miller fan there is, and there's no doubting also that KISS ME KATE is possibly the best showcase of her talents and beauty there is. Secondly, I've been listening to the film soundtrack on constant repeat for months now, influenced by an interest kindled by the musical and discovering Miller. It helps that I can sing along to most of the songs and know the lyrics--no struggling to figure out what Grayson is singing in her operatic voice, and no attempting to acclimatise to new tunes. I already know the Cole Porter music, from lyrics to tune to score, and love it. So yes, perhaps I *was* predisposed to loving this film--how could I *not*, particularly with Miller dancing and singing my favourite songs in the film? Still, I firmly believe that there's a lot more to recommend KISS ME KATE than the ravings of a fangirl.

Cole Porter really outdoes himself here with a toe-tappingly catchy score: even songs like 'I've Come To Wive It Wealthily In Padua' and 'We Open In Venice' have the same sparkling lyrics, the same ability to catch the ear as the better-known 'Wunderbar' and 'From This Moment On'. Then there's the jazz-influenced 'Too Darn Hot' and the sweet ballad 'Why Can't You Behave?'. I honestly believe that Porter's score for KISS ME KATE is better than the one he wrote for HIGH SOCIETY, because he makes fine use of reprisals and bridges. Take for example Rall singing a short reprisal of Miller's 'Why Can't You Behave?' back to her before she replies with a wonderful segue into 'Always True To You In My Fashion'--the reprisal marks the couple and the relationship and works wonderfully well. Of course, it helps also that the cast for KISS ME KATE is really most impressive. Keel, with his big big voice and untrained natural talent, fills the screen (and his tights!) with his masculine presence.

He struts, swaggers, and yet shows his vulnerable side believably enough to make us *like* his character, ego or no ego. Grayson, so much weaker against Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra in ANCHORS AWEIGH a decade earlier, really comes into her own here--she's excellent as Lilli, swooning at the right moments, strident during the rest, and actually bites out 'I Hate Men' with conviction... you certainly wouldn't imagine it possible of the actress who gave us the rather simpering Aunt Susie in the aforementioned Kelly/Sinatra film! I'm also partial to Tommy Rall, whose soaring athletic ability just crackles off the screen. It's such a thrill to see Miller get matched with someone who can dance circles around most everyone else alongside her. They make the cutest couple in their two numbers together, with the energetic, exuberant dance to 'Why Can't You Behave?' definitely making one of my favourite film dance routines of all time. This film is, of course, Miller's shining moment--a shame, considering she's still only second lead and yet really steals the film with her dancing and singing.

I can understand why other reviewers don't like that the song 'Too Darn Hot' became a solo for her, but what works on the stage, quite frankly, won't have made it in the film. (Even in the musical I thought the song a rather inauspicious and irrelevant start to the second act.) Miller's 'Too Darn Hot' fandance tap is precisely what the title suggests, and the charm she always radiates in all her small roles sizzles through her sexy fringed costume and black lace fan as she dances all over the furniture. One of my favourite songs is also the *unbelievably* catchy 'Tom, Dick & Harry', and the version in the film is great fun. The directing by George Sidney is solid, making the best of the choreography. Any apparently odd choices would have to be explained by the fact that the film was originally filmed in 3-D--imagine Miller's gloves and necklace flying into your lap, or the objects on the tavern table crashing off the screen when Grayson sweeps them off (while despising men, of course!). I really wish I could have the chance to see this film the way it was meant to be seen, in 3-D.

Unfortunately, there's no way to get that effect on VHS and probably not DVD either. Even so, KISS ME KATE is bright, splashy, flashy and colourful. It's breathtakingly happy eye-candy and drags only at a few moments when non-Shakespearean dialogue gets in the way. Considering the cleverness of its concept (it's a film about the staging of a musical version of the Shakespearean play), the film has little to no artistic pretension--in this way, it's a quintessential MGM musical... set, geared, intended to *entertain*. And entertain it does. With the vocal talents of Keel and Grayson, the incredible tapping of Miller and the soaring of Rall, all accompanied by an irresistible Porter score, let's hope this one makes it to DVD; it's definitely a keeper! Was the above review useful to you? 29 out of 30 people found the following review useful: If you are a dance fan from United States 1 July 2004 This is my favorite musical, not for the dancing alone, but it is the best. The dancers, not just Ann Miller and Rall, but Bob Fosse, Bobby Van, and Carol Haney!!

What more could any dance fan want? There is always something new to see, no matter how many times you have watched it. The lyrics are magnificent, tricky and intriguing. When Howard Keel, dressed in those gorgeous tights, sings about all the women he has known, he's a knockout. Grayson is not my favorite actress, but she can sing, and she and Keel make a wonderful pair. I will admit that the music is great, but folks, catch the dancing!! The final dance number with the six dancers is superb, but how can you watch all six at once? You have to watch it several times, particularly the pair of Carol Haney and Bob Fosse. Was the above review useful to you? 29 out of 32 people found the following review useful: Kiss Me, Kate Is Still Great! from Cincinnati, Ohio 2 March 2004 Kiss Me, Kate was first released at the time that the movie screens were exploading into large formats to get people away from their T.V.

sets and back into the theaters, and 3-D films came out of hiding and the only musical film to be shot in the 3-D format was Kiss Me, Kate, and stereophonic sound, to me, was better in those days than it is today, but the film gave everyone in it the chance to do their finest work, but it's a shame that they will not release a 3-D Version of this film on Home Video. The distributors would make a fortune! Everyone knows the plot of Kiss Me, Kate, so there's no sense in going into that. Kathryn Grayson, Hollywood's finest singer of all time replaced Patricia Morrison who played Lilli on Broadway, and Howard Keel replaced Alfred Drake who played Fred Graham on Broadway, and Ann Miller replaced Lisa Kirk who played Lois on Broadway, and it's not too well known but Lisa Kirk dubbed Everything's Coming Up Roses for Rosalind Russell in the movie version of Gypsy! Tommy Rall who replaced Harold Lang in the Broadway version, to me, was never given a fair chance in Hollywood.

An excellent singer and versatile dancer, but still he shines in his work in Kiss Me, Kate and for his work in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers as the brother Frank who got upset when he was called by his real name. This movie is a good example as to why Broadway stars are not necessarily good for repeating their Broadway roles on the screen. The cast in this movie is excellent in their acting, singing and dancing and I can not picture the Broadway cast repeating their roles in the movie version. To me, it just wouldn't work! Casting Ann Miller in the role of Lois Lane was a good break for Ann Miller since she was always given roles in past movies that showed her off as a gal who had an overly-obnoxious appetite for the opposite sex. This film gave her a chance to display her full range of talent which had in the past been overlooked, but what can a person say about her number Too Darn Hot that burned up the screen and made Lilli [Kathryn Grayson] furious with her co-star Fred-er-rick Gray-ham [Howard Keel] to the point that she called him a louse of stage in front of the cast in the play!

She couldn't call him what Patricia Morrison called Alfred Drake in the Broadway play because in those days the Hayes Office wouldn't allow Kathryn Grayson to call Howard Keel a ba****d! Keenyn Wynn and James Whitmore played the comical gangsters that were to collect a marker from Howard Keel which was really signed by Tommy Rall and when they do their number Brush Up Your Shakespeare, it's hilarious. Not because Wynn can't sing and dance, he can, but because James Whitmore gave it all he could, but faked the number beautifully, and Whitmore had the good sense never to perform in a musical ever again, but together they were excellent in their comedic performance as the gangsters in the film. So, you guys who distribute this movie - give us guys and gals a break and release this in the original wide-screen 3-D version with stereophonic sound and let everyone see why: KISS ME KATE - IS "STILL" GREAT! Was the above review useful to you?

18 out of 21 people found the following review useful: Ann Miller Deserved an Oscar from United States 30 October 2005 Total delight from start to finish, this witty, musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. This show within a show is bright and splashy and boasts terrific performances, songs, dancing, and costumes. Howard Keel plays the egotistic Fred Graham who us mounting this new musical with ex-wife Lilli Vanessi (Kathryn Grayson) as his leading lady. The battling couple mirrors the battling couple in the play. All very clever. As good as Grayson and Keel as however, Ann Miller totally steals the show as Lois Lane, the brassy chorus girl Fred has given a part (the younger sister) in the play. Mills is fantastic as she sings and dances her way through some great numbers: It's Too Darn Hot, From This Moment On, Always True to You, and Tom, Dick or Harry. Her opening number of Too Darn Hot is astounding as she swirls and taps around Cole POrter's living room and across his table tops.

The skin tight tassled red outfit is probably the sexiest outfit Miller ever wore and she looks great. She was always denied the starring roles in MGM musicals which is a shame. MGM preferred the more demure types like Grayson or Judy Garland, Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds for starring roles and Miller always got stuck playing the flashy friend or other woman. Also good in this great musical are Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore as the thugs who get to sing Brush Up Your Shakespeare. Bob Fosse, Bobby Van, and Tommy Rall are the three dancers. Carol Haney and Jeanne Coyne show up for the From This Moment On number with Miller and the Boys. Ann Codee is the maid, Claude Allister is the butler, Willard Parker is Tex, Dave O'Brien is the stage manager, Kurt Kaznar is the stage father, and Ron Randell plays Cole Porter. Originally done in 3-D, Kiss Me Kate is shock full of great songs and some of the best lyrics ever heard. For those of us growing up in the 50s, most of the songs from this musical are familiar hits, including Wunderbar, From This Moment On, Always True to You, and So In Love.

Kiss Me Kate is a textbook musical that works on all levels. Keel and Grayson were never better, Miller is outstanding, Whitmore and Wynn are fun, and Tommy Rall gets a couple of dance numbers (My Can't You Behave) that prove him to be one of the best dancers of his generation. The short dance solo with Fosse and Haney also presages much of Fosse's later groundbreaking choreography. Not a false step in this film, which ranks as one of the great musicals. Was the above review useful to you? 19 out of 23 people found the following review useful: Wiving It Wealthily In Padua from Buffalo, New York 18 July 2007 Though some would now argue for A Chorus Line, I believe that Kiss Me Kate is the greatest of backstage musical stories. That's because when Cole Porter took a collaborator, he took the best, the Poet that keeps 'em ravin', the Bard of Stratford-on-Avon. When Porter was approached to collaborate with Samuel and Bella Spewack about doing a show based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, he had hit a dry spell creatively.

He had not had a decent Broadway hit in several years and according to the George Eells biography of him, was pretty tense throughout the gestation period. He also did not have the best of relations with the Spewacks. It was all forgotten when Kiss Me Kate had the biggest Broadway run of any of his show, 1077 performances and probably yielded more hit songs for him than any other production. It missed getting the Tony Award for Best Musical by another show that opened that season, South Pacific. Most of that score remained intact for the MGM musical. One additional one from Porter's succeeding Broadway musical, Out of this World was added as a number for Tommy Rall, Bob Fosse, and Bobby Van, From This Moment On. Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson as the leads sing the classic Porter hits, So In Love and Wunderbar with gusto and feeling. Kiss Me Kate is one of the most difficult of musicals to act because you have to be good enough to act two roles simultaneously. The players have to be able to keep their backstage personas as they are speaking the lines from The Taming of the Shrew and have to do that convincingly also.

Which is why I consider Kiss Me Kate one of the greatest of the Arthur Freed musicals. The backstage story is nothing new. Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson were once married to each other and are still So In Love, but she doesn't realize it. Keel has cast her in this musical adaption he's also directing of The Taming of the Shrew. Their story is worked rather nicely into the opening night of the production. Also the story of flirtatious Ann Miller and Tommy Rall who's incurred a gambling debt to some gangsters also gets worked into opening night. Rall signs Keel's name to an IOU and Keel who thinks fast on his feet uses that bit of deception to his own advantage. Which brings me to those two lovable torpedoes, Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore, who get into the play and later get to sing one of Cole Porter's best satirical numbers and a personal favorite of mine, Brush Up Your Shakespeare. It's their own ode to their theatrical experience and also advice to the lovelorn that if you want to win the mate of your choice, learn the classics so you can wow them with rhetoric. Wynn and Whitmore are priceless.

I also remember years ago Orson Welles was the guest star on a Dean Martin show and Welles and Dino did a pretty hilarious version of this song. Of course it being a Cole Porter show, the more risqué lines of the lyrics are censored somewhat. Check both the original Broadway cast album and the album MGM did from the film and see what I mean. I do so love this show and this film. It was originally done in 3-D and ought to be seen that way in a theater if possible. Was the above review useful to you? 11 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Two excellent numbers deserve more credit. from United States 30 April 2004 This movie is quite the best musical of the 50's, with more plot and excellent sideplay and bits. Of these bits, my favorites are Howard Keel's rendition of "Where Is the Life that Late I Led", and Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore's clever presentation of "Brush Up Your Shakespeare". Either one could stand alone, but when added to the dancing of Ann Miller, Bob Fosse, Bobby Van and Carol Chaney, you have a real winner. Very clever and upbeat.

Kathryn Grayson was never a favorite of mine, but she is acceptable as Lily, and her number "I Hate Men" is a real winner. You know, this movie has so many excellent songs that it is very hard to pick just a few. "Always True to You, Darling, in my Fashion", "Tom, Dick and Harry"--Cole Porter was at the top of his form for this movie. Was the above review useful to you? 11 out of 13 people found the following review useful: A vibrant musical delight. from Baltimore, Maryland 25 February 2000 Great adaptation of the Broadway musical with a wonderful Cole Porter score. Yes the plot is just an excuse (though not a flimsy one) to put the numbers together, but so what? Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel are very good as battling exes who are destined to be together, in the best tradition of Scarlett and Rhett, with a dash of His Girl Friday thrown in. Plus, it's all acted out amidst Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, which provides for some great comic moments.

Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore as the two gangsters are hilarious in the classic "Brush Up Your Shakespeare." Bob Fosse, who plays Bianca's blond suitor in the "Shrew" play-within-a-play, electrifies the screen with Carol Haney in their short but spectacular dance during the "From This Moment On" number. But it is Ann Miller who steals the show with her tradmark perkiness, charm and dynamite dancing skills, demonstrated memorably in another classic, "Too Darn Hot," and her numbers with Tommy Rall. Definitly recommended if you want a laugh, a tune to hum and a great show to see. Was the above review useful to you? 10 out of 12 people found the following review useful: One GREAT MGM Musical from United States 17 February 2004 The movie is not the same as the stage production but it stands on its own as one of the best MGM musicals of the era.

Howard Keel and Katherine Grayson were never better in any other of their films; Ann Miller is her usual energetic and delightful self, plus you get to see some superb dancers who made very few films at all, and they are all at the top of their form: Tommy Rall, Jeannie Coyne, Bob Fosse, Carol Haney and Bobby Van. The big closing number, From This Moment On, is a showcase for those five dancers plus Miller...look out for Fosse and Haney's amazing hipster/be-bop flavored segment! That song was added to the movie from another Porter show and it is the highlight of this great movie! Was the above review useful to you? 10 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Ah... from USA 4 March 1999 What great stars! Keel and Grayson are excellent in this, with the lovely song So In Love, among many others. Tommy Rall is underused. He was in the same amount of numbers as the marvelous Ann Miller, but got minimum screen time, with the exception of Why Can't You Behave. Ann Miller was nothing short of awesome, with four numbers and ample attention in all of them.

Too Darn Hot, Tom Dick or Harry, Why Can't You Behave, Always True To You In My Fashion, and From This Moment On (to a lesser degree) belong to her. A perfect movie for her fans. I urge you, run, don't walk to the nearest video store and pray that they have KISS ME KATE! Was the above review useful to you? 5 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Brilliant and Hilarious Musical 27 December 2007 *** This review may contain spoilers *** When Cole Porter hands his latest show, a jazzy and up beat adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew' to Broadway Director and egocentric thespian Fred Graham, he could never have imagined the chaos it would cause. Firstly Fred, who naturally wants to play the lead, employs Lili, his bitter and vindictive ex-wife to play opposite him, despite the fact that they absolutely loathe one another. Secondly, cast in the role of his ex-wife's younger sister is Lois, a beautiful and sexy nightclub dancer who shares a mutual attraction with Fred.

If this little love triangle isn't enough to ensure a troublesome and acrimonious performance, then the casting of Lois' boyfriend Bill at forth billing is the sour icing on an already festering cake. But still thats not all, as when Bill, a no good gambler, spends the entire last day of rehearsal running up a $2,000 debt with a local racketeer, he exacts a special revenge on Fred, by signing his love rivals name on the IOU. However in the true style of the accomplished trooper , The Show must go on, although the issues between the four main cast are not left behind in the dressing room as ad libbed dialogue, physical violence and quiet side remarks all make their way into the finished performance as do two gangsters sent by the racketeer to recover 'Fred's' Debt.

To see the domestic issues played out in Shakespearian costume and dialogue is a real treat and the four main stars of the film, Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller and Tommy Rall all handle their parts extremely well, but special mention to Keenan Wynne and James Whitmore as the two gangsters who in order to get their money are forced to don wigs, tights and frequent comical Shakespearisms to their thick New York accents. However there is only one real star of this film and that's Cole Porter (and I don't mean the actor playing him). His great tunes and his clever sophisticated lyrics were second to none in the annuls of early 20th Century music and his offerings in Kiss Me Kate are no exception. If he had just written this musical and no other, he would still be considered the best. Too Darn Hot, So In Love, Wunderbar, Tom, Dick and Harry, I Hate Men and the excellent Life that Late I Lead are all showstoppers and a testament to his considerable talent as a song-smith.

The film itself was originally shot and released in the new 3-D gimmick in an effort to prise the old cinema audience back from their new fangled television sets. However before CGI effects the most impressive 3-D effect they could muster was members of the cast constantly tossing things into the audience. A banana, A tankard, a head scarf etc and after about the seventeenth time it became rather boring and old hat. Despite this I have only ever seen the the normal version and the film is funny and entertaining enough to stand on it's own 2-D feet so there was no real need for the gimmick at all. Give this one a go. Its great. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 7: Kiss Me Kate: Karaoke CD+G Email this page to a friend Winner of the Tony for Best Musical on Broadway in 1949, Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate also won Best Musical Revival in 2000. Considered to be his most successful musical, Cole Porter wrote both the music and lyrics for the show.

Kiss Me Kate presents a humurous twist on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, recounting the behind-the-scenes romances of actors staging a musical version of the play. "So In Love" is among the most famous songs from the show. Our accompaniment/karaoke CD of Kiss Me Kate features the show key and tempo of the revival. There are 42 tracks on this album: Tracks 1-21 contain the background tracks and guide vocals; tracks 22-42 contain the accompaniment tracks alone. This album is a re-recording in the original show key and show tempo. Individual tracks can be downloaded at . Songs included are: Shakespeare on Broadway [CASSETTE]: Amazon.co.uk: Music Shakespeare on Broadway [CASSETTE] Cliff Richard Format: Audio Cassette 4.3 out of 5 stars 5 star Audio Cassette (13 Feb. 1996) Label: Universal Music & VI Track Listings Disc: 1 1. Brush up your Shakespeare, song (from "Kiss Me Kate") - Jonathan Freeman, Harry Groener, Guy Haines 2. Oh, Brother!, musical play~I To the World - Jason Graae 3.

Music Is, musical play~Should I Speak of Loving You? - Marcia Mitzman 4. Sing for Your Supper, song (from "The Boys from Syracuse") - Lynnette Perry 5. Frogs, musical play~Fear No More - Ron Raines 6. Dear Old Syracuse, song (from "The Boys from Syracuse") - Timothy Jerome, Lee Wilkof 7. Another Midsummer Night, musical play~It's Love...I Think - Crista Moore 8. Brush up your Shakespeare, song (from "Kiss Me Kate") - Jonathan Freeman, Harry Groener, Guy Haines 9. Your Own Thing, musical play~What Do I Know? - Leo Daignault, David Engel, Larry Raben 10. Too darn hot, song (from "Kiss Me Kate") - Liz Larsen 11. Rockabye Hamlet, musical play~If My Morning Begins - Sean McDermott 12. Rockabye Hamlet, musical play~The Last Blues - Melba Joyce 13. Twelfth Night, incidental music~Two Songs - Rupert Holmes 14.

Brush up your Shakespeare, song (from "Kiss Me Kate") [Finale Ultimo] - Jonathan Freeman, Harry Groener, Guy Haines 15. Swingin' the Dream, musical play~Darn That Dream - Karen ZiÃ©mba 16. Comedy of Errors, musical play~What Do I Do Now? - Michelle Nicastro 17. Tonight, song (from "West Side Story") - Glory Crampton, Sal Viviano 18. Red, Hot and Blue, film score~Hamlet Customer Reviews

Question: Which musical features the songs 'Brush Up Your Shakespeare' and 'From This Moment On'?
Answer: Kiss Me Kate